Peter Main in Fort Worth

[Rawhide]

Kathy,

It states in the rules that you HAVE to have pictures!

Clay, I'm going to post a couple of pictures soon of what we created in Peter's class.

Kathy, Peter asked if we would like him to come back ( :wtf: like that's a real question) and do the applique embossing class. He said that it is a really popular class. Hopefully I won't have to wait too long for that to happen.

Marlon

[ClayB]

Clay, I'm going to post a couple of pictures soon of what we created in Peter's class.

Marlon

Ya, well you better Marlon cuz otherwise me and this fish here are gonna have to take a road trip :fish: The fish, he says you dont look all that mean in your picture :D

[krains]

oh yea, don't forget we had the pleasure of seeing the world's largest horse there also. 19 hands, 2400lbs. radar i think his name was. simply astounding! didn't you get some pics of that marlon?

[yaklady]

Kathy, It states in the rules that you HAVE to have pictures! Well, it would if we had any rules. Or then again, maybe not, once in awhile it's good that there aren't pictures :blush:So you have an X ray of that broken arm. Now wouldn't that make an interesting leather project???? I am thinking embossed applique in the style of Peter Main. You could even use your own x ray to back the leather as you carve! Ok, it's still early and I shouldn't be typing yet.

Actually, I think Pete Gorrell's concave method of carving would do great for an x-ray. I'll get right on it!

Clay, I'm going to post a couple of pictures soon of what we created in Peter's class. Kathy, Peter asked if we would like him to come back ( :wtf: like that's a real question) and do the applique embossing class. He said that it is a really popular class. Hopefully I won't have to wait too long for that to happen.Marlon

Definitely get in on that one, Marlon. Adsk him is he can applique some broken bones!Kathy

[SCOUTER]

Marlon,

Thanks very much for all your helpful posts, I had no idea who Peter Main was so I went to his website and was blown away! You are so lucky to be able to take a class given by him! I'm envious! Thanks again!

Edited January 31, 2008 by SCOUTER

[Rawhide]

Marlon,

Thanks very much for all your helpful posts, I had no idea who Peter Main was so I went to his website and was blown away! You are so lucky to be able to take a class given by him! I'm envious! Thanks again!

you know Scouter, I had no idea who he REALLY was until I got to this forum. I had one of his books already, but it was patterns designed by Al Stohlman. Once on LW.net, someone posted his website and I took a gander and WOW.

I do feel fortunate to have taken a class under him. Shoot, I'm almost envious of myself, if that's even possible.

Marlon

[ClayB]

Marlon,

That reminds me of the first time I had seen Peter's work. We were coming back from a family vacation to Yellowstone and I wanted to stop and King's museum in Sheridan to see the Al Stholman exhibit they had set up there. Everything I knew to that point had come from Al and Ann's books. While I was there, I noticed a table that had some leather pictures on it, looked like they were packing them up in boxes. I got to looking, and was just blown away. I had never seen anything like this stuff before. His buffalo picture and his bear picture that you can see on his site are what inspired me to take my work in a completely different direction. Not too long after that, I had a lady from New York contact me and ask her if I could make her a notebook with a golden retriever and german shepard dog on the front. This was something out of my comfort zone, but I told her I would try if she wasn't in any hurry. I worked on trying to carve dog faces for weeks and just kept getting more and more frustrated. Then I found a Yahoo group called Pictorial Carvers that was for leather carvers that did figure carving. There weren't a lot of members but there were some of the real masters. Peter, Silva, Billy 2 Shews. I finally sent pictures of my failed attempts to that group, and Peter asked for copy of the pattern I was using. A few days later, I get a package in the mail and Peter had taken my pattern and drawn over it, fixing all the mistakes. The new pattern made all the difference in the world. Silva and Billy were just as helpful. Silva did a carving and coloring lesson for me that are up on her website

Later that year I had a chance to go to Sheridan for my fist big leather show. First thing I did when I got there was find a pay phone to call home. While I was talking to my wife, here comes Peter walking down the hall and into the bar. When I got off the phone, I went in and saw him sititing with a group of other Australians. I just sat at the bar for a while, had a couple drinks, and worked up some courage. When he came to the bar to get a round, I went up and introduced myself to him. He invited me to come sit at his table with his friends. Me, a nobody from ND and him, one of the finest leather artists in the world and his friends. WOW!

Next day, I took my first real leather class other than a beginner class at Tandy years ago from Bob Beard. That was a whole nother experience! Then, after the class I am walking donw the hallway and meet up with Peter again and he acts like we have been friends for life. I tell him I heard some interesting stories about him in the class with Bob, so Peter sits me down on a bench and spends the next half hour or so telling his side of the stories. I've never gotten the chance to take a class from Peter, but he sure is a great guy, fun to be around, and has helped me out when I needed it. I understand what you mean about being envious of yourself!

[Rawhide]

Clay,

That is an amazing story. Now I envy you!! My story is I emailed him after finding some of his work, specifically the tool box he used to use to carry his tools in, and surprisingly he emailed back. I didn't really expect it I guess. Anyway when I heard he was giving a class, I immediately signed up. On the night before the class he was to arrive in Fort Worth. I waited at the Tandy store with the manager so she wouldn't be alone, until he arrived. Well the directions got screwed up and he got lost. The manager is really just getting to know the area, so she couldn't give him really great directions, so she asked if I would. ME? Talk to Peter Main on the phone? So, I get the phone, and he tells me where he is. I tell him to turn around and come back the way he came....THEN HIS PHONE DIES! Ahh! "PETER MAIN IS LOST AND I CAN'T TELL HIM HOW TO GET TO US!!" We spend the next half hour trying to call him back. Finally he pulls up in front of the store, and explains that his phone died. The store manager introduces us and he shakes my hand. Right away I asked "Can I call you Uncle Peter?" He laughs and hugs me. ME, PETER MAIN HUGS ME, an nobody from nowhere. Anyway we help him unload his class materials into the store, and we spend another hour talking and laughing. What a great gentleman he is. He told me that the best thing that happened to him that night was that I told him to turn around, and he did the rest. After the class, he signed my copy of his coloring technique book, gave my wife the carving he did in the class and signed it as well. I called him Uncle Peter through the whole class. I said that most people have an uncle that they would like to be more like and he fits the bill, so from now on he's Uncle to me. I'm sure he won't forget that.

I also noticed, that just about every piece of work he created, had a story behind it. He is a master artisan and I feel ever so blessed to have even been in his presence. He is truly one of a kind.

Marlon

[ClayB]

That's a great story too Marlon. One thing that you will find out is that most of the masters in this craft are just like that. I met Bob Beard, Verlane Desgrange, Jan Schoonover, Geroge Hurst, Bill Gomer, Pete Gorrell, Al Gould that same trip and every one of the treats you the same way. Tony Laier and Jim Linnell I met later but they are also the same. Most of them Stohlman award winners and a couple future winners I would bet, are just great people and we are all pretty lucky that they are willing to share so much with those of us that are wanting to learn. There are lots of folks here on this forum that are trying to follow the example they set for us.

[Rawhide]

Ok ClayB, Here's the picture you've been yammering about.

It's not finished, but I will attempt to finish it.

Marlon